Page 77 of Spiral
“I didn’t know football was this—” Eleanor thinks for a moment. “—fun!”
“I know!” I reply, beaming. “We’ve been trapped in our nerd corner.”
“Hey! I like our nerd corner.”
She nudges me, a glowing smile on her lips, before resuming her chaotic cheering.
The game continues for a few more hours, with the lead constantly shifting between the Titans and the Mudcats, and it’s well past sunset when the last quarter finally nudges towards a close.
“Both teams are back on the field, ready to battle it out for victory. Each team only needs one more touchdown for the win. This is where champions are made, folks!”
The temperature has dropped under the beaming moonlight, and I shiver as the crowd falls silent, awaiting Henry’s call.
"Down. Green 43. Green 43. Set. Hike!"
My heart begins to pound as Henry rears his arm back, launching the ball across the field. Within a few seconds, Watson catches it, but is instantly tackled by the Mudcats’ cornerback.
“Receiver Todd Watson hits the field at the 20-yard line. It’s anyone’s game!”
There’s only seconds left, and Eleanor, Danny, and I all have our eyes, wide and anxious, glued to the field beneath us.
“They only need to make it past that 10, I think,” Eleanor whispers, without looking away from the players.
“Yeah, exactly. Do you think they’ll do it?” Danny looks at Eleanor, his lips curving into an infectious smile.
“Duh, it’s Henry,” she replies, glancing in my direction rapidly. “Of course they will.”
She’s right. Henry throws the ball down the field with the same enviable confidence he’s had throughout the game – well, throughout every moment I’ve known him. The football glides in a perfect spiral over the bright green turf before landing seamlessly in the palm of Todd Watson, just as he steps over the line into the end zone.
“What a game! The TU Titans are victorious over the Mississippi Mudcats and will be advancing to the NCAA Championships!”
Fans clad in maroon and white immediately flood the field, surrounding the players as they jump, cheer, and spill sports drinks over their heads. Eleanor and I break into laughter, unable to keep ourselves from screaming and cheering along with the crowd.
“One win down,” I yell to Eleanor and Danny, my voice straining over the roar of the fans. “One more to go!”
45 | Henry
A FEW HOURS after the game has ended, Georgia softly knocks on my bedroom door. The whole team had gone out to celebrate at Stetson's right after our win. I’d invited her to join us, but Georgia insisted she stay behind to finish preparations for Glow in the Garden.
“Henry?” Her gentle voice is muffled by the closed door, yet my stomach still flutters at the sound of it.
“Come in, gorgeous.”
She creaks the door open slowly, peeking her head through first before fully stepping over the threshold.
“How was Stetson’s?” she asks, sitting beside me on the bed.
“Eh,” I reply, shrugging my shoulders and pullingher into a hug on my lap. “Would’ve been better if you were there.”
She rolls her eyes and attempts to hide her lips curving into a smile.
“Whatever. Come on, we have work to do!”
She attempts, just barely, to escape from my grasp in order to grab her backpack – undoubtedly to retrieve stacks of paperwork, phone numbers, and last minute to-do lists.
“Baby, we’ve got everything figured out. The flyers have been passed out, the vendors are secured. All we have to do now is wait.”
My phone rings on the desk beside us, causing us both to jump. I groan as “MOM” blinks and flashes across the bright screen.